After a pleasant walk, I rounded the corner of our street and headed towards home. Our faithful Australian Shepherd, Sophie, walked dutifully besides me. Gorgeous hues colored the sky at sunset, my favorite time of day for a stroll.

Without warning, a fierce jerk dragged my arm across my chest at lightning speed, and before my mind could grasp what was happening, I was dog-skiing through the neighbor's yard.

"Sophie! Noooo!" I bellowed, trying desperately to hold myself upright as Sophie raced forward with surprising force. On and on she pulled me, my forty-something body no match for her herding-doggie super-strength.

I glanced up and saw Sophie's goal: a freaked-out stray cat, running full steam ahead.

"No, Sophie, no!" Gripping her leash with both hands, I leaned all of my body weight backwards and tugged hard. I attempted to dig my heals into the grass, and was nearly catapulted forward as Sophie determined to herd that kitty.

I gathered up more slack, leaned back, and pulled even harder.

"Nooooo!"

Finally, Sophie stopped. The cat bounded over a small hill, out of sight. Breathing like a track star after a 100-yard dash, and nursing a nearly dislocated shoulder, I scolded our wayward dog as we headed back to the sidewalk.

While you may not have participated in a dog-skiing event recently (or ever...) , has your chain been yanked lately? Know this: our enemy schemes against us, hoping to catch us off guard and pull us mercilessly off of our paths.

It's up to us to resist him.

James 4:7 tells us, "So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you." (Amplified Bible)

How do we resist the enemy?

We determine to stay on our path no matter the cost.

We pray for discernment to know when the enemy is jerking our chain.

We ask the Lord for supernatural strength to resist when we're caught off guard.

Julie,First, cute dog! I'm a dog person and can totally relate to your story. I have a yellow lab who is just dying to get her paws on a kitty. (And we have one! Imagine the fur that flies at our house from time to time!)

But, yes I have had my spiritual chain jerked. All's going just fine, until... However, I often don't realize the altered course until I've been dragged a bit. Bumping along, scraped and banged up, I'm learning my lessons the hard way.

Julie, thanks so much for visiting my blog. I appreciate your kind words. Believe me, I have had my chain pulled quite a bit. It seems to never end. I think I take a few steps ahead, then go back again. You're so right in saying that the path of determination is very important. It's having a made-up mind and having my eyes on Jesus that keep me balanced. Thank you for an encouraging, timely word. Please do visit me again. I look forward to getting to know you better. God bless.

Hi Julie,Great post. I am better at recognizing the "tug" before I get in a ditch (used to be very familiar territory, sadly!), but you are right, we always have to have our defenses up. And when we do get off track, not get stuck in the paralysis of self-condemnation. Thanks, as always, for your encouragement! :)Melinda

Congrats on your win to She Speaks!!! Thank you for being so honest with your entry. God is the great healer of all. I know you are going to have the time of your life! God is good all the time, All the time God is good!! Have fun.